Oxfordshire · London and the South East
Hinksey Hill Chimney Survey
Chimney surveys around Hinksey Hill, with findings in writing and pictures to back them up. Weekday and weekend visits available.
- Damp on a chimney breast inside
- A stack that appears to lean
- Bricks with flaking faces
When to book a survey in Hinksey Hill
Aerials and dishes are often fixed to stacks. The extra load in wind can work bricks and joints loose. Any fixings on the stack are checked and recorded.
It’s worth booking a survey if you’ve seen:
- Gaps where the stack meets the roof
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
- Mortar washing out of the joints
- Flaunching that has broken away
Homes near green spaces like Raleigh Park can get more leaves in their gutters in autumn, and blocked gutters overflow and soak walls.
Before you book anyone
- What they won’t be able to tell you
- How long the report takes to arrive
- Whether VAT is added on top
- Their drone registration, if they fly one
Chimney survey in Hinksey Hill: what you get
We inspect chimneys from wherever they can safely be seen: the ground, nearby windows and higher points, and the loft space where it is safe. With our Premium Survey, a drone inspection is included where applicable. If we cannot see part of the stack, the report makes that clear. Each defect is recorded with a photo and a plain description. Typical surveys look at signs that a stack is leaning and spalled or crumbling bricks, across brick chimney stacks, flaunching and shared and party-wall stacks.
In a small place like Hinksey Hill, many roofs stand in the open, which is hard on ridges, chimneys, flashings and gutters. Damp in old walls is slow to dry, so a small leak can do a lot of harm. A roof report shows what needs attention first. Lead flashings and old chimney stacks are often where weather gets in first.
The report is yours to share with whoever needs it: a seller or estate agent, an insurer, a roofer, a builder or a managing agent.
- Where
- Hinksey Hill (OX1)
- Wider area
- Oxfordshire
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Appointments
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
For landlords and managing agents
Managing agents and residents’ management companies use roof surveys to plan maintenance. Recommendations are set out with the most urgent first where relevant, which helps when budgeting.
For a freeholder or residents’ company, a roof report is a sound basis for a maintenance plan, with the most urgent items set out first.
The survey, step by step
A survey visit follows a simple order: we listen to what’s been worrying you, look at the roof from every safe viewpoint, take photographs as we go and record our findings for the written report. It normally takes roughly 1–2 hours at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. Older rural homes like those around Hinksey Hill can have a main roof, lower lean-to roofs and outbuildings all joined together. We work round each section in turn, from the safest viewpoints.
- You let us know how many stacks there are and any damp or problems you’ve noticed.
- We inspect each stack from safe viewpoints outside.
- We check and photograph the pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing and flashings.
- Inside, we look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft where there’s safe access.
- We send a written report with photos, the defects found and what we recommend.
Before the survey
- Move anything stored under the loft hatch
- Check we can get to the back of the property
- Buyers: confirm access with the estate agent or seller
Arrange a survey
Not sure which survey you need? It’s easiest to phone 07833 053749 or send us an email and describe the roof and why you want it surveyed. We’ll talk you through the options and what they cost.
Advice
When you need someone else
Before you book, it’s worth knowing what a survey won’t do:
- Areas we can’t view from safe positions
- Checks on boilers, fires or their flues
- A structural engineer’s assessment
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can call 07833 053749 or send us an email and we will tell you. The full list of what we check.
What this survey covers
- Brick chimney stacks
- Flaunching
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Chimney breasts
- Lead flashings
Also near Hinksey Hill
Other services in Hinksey Hill
What a chimney survey looks like in Hinksey Hill
Historic houses such as Holywell Manor, about 2.3 miles north, show how far back building in the area around Hinksey Hill goes. Older homes in the wider area often have features worth a closer look, such as lead valleys, tall stacks and roofs that have been patched over the years, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area. West Oxfordshire’s older buildings often carry Cotswold stone slates, and a few villages in the county keep their thatch. Older houses in the South East often have slate or clay tile roofs, while many later estates have concrete tiles. Whichever you have, the details that tend to fail before the covering itself get the closest look.
If you look after a shop, office or commercial unit, for instance near Westgate Shopping Centre, a dated report on the roof is useful for planning and for any lease discussions. Anyone responsible for a site like New Hinksey Church of England Primary School will know that its roofs, gutters and any chimneys need the same checks as a house’s, just on a bigger scale.
Hinksey Hill is about 2 miles south-west of Oxford, in Oxfordshire. We visit Hinksey Hill as part of our work across Oxfordshire, for homes and businesses alike. Across Oxfordshire, we cover Hinksey Hill and the places around it.
We work across the OX1 postcode area for chimney surveys and the streets around it. Whether your property is on Betty Lane, Badger Lane and Hinksey Hill or anywhere close by, we can survey it. Other places close to Hinksey Hill include South Hinksey (1 mile north), Redbridge (1 mile east), Chilswell (1 mile west), New Hinksey (1 mile north-east) and Bayworth (1 mile south-west). Within a short drive, we also cover Didcot (8 miles south), Bicester (13 miles north), Abingdon-on-Thames (3 miles south), Witney (11 miles north-west), Carterton (14 miles west) and Thame (13 miles east).
What’s near Hinksey Hill
In Hinksey Hill, that means homes and buildings near Greyfriars Catholic School, Alexander Library of Ornithology and The General Elliot pub and the streets around them. The nearest railway station is Oxford station, about 2 miles north of the centre. Other landmarks nearby include The Story Museum (1.8 miles north) and Westgate Shopping Centre (1.8 miles north). Not far away are Lashford Lane Fen and Harcourt Hill.
Roof by roof
Lead flashings
Some older stacks have mortar fillets instead of lead. They crack with age, and we check them too.
Rendered stacks
What’s behind the render cannot be seen without removing some, so the report says what can and can’t be judged.
How we price chimney surveys
Survey packages start from £150, including VAT. The price for your roof depends on:
- How many separate roofs there are, such as extensions, dormers and garages
- The type of building, from a house to a block or an office
- Basic, Standard or Premium
- Building height and the viewpoints available
Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. The final price depends on the size and height of the roof, access and which survey you book.
What to let us know when you get in touch
There’s no need for technical words. Just let us know:
- Dates you’re working to, like exchange
- How the loft is reached, if there is one
- Pictures from the garden or a window, if you have them
- The type of building and roof, such as pitched or flat
Surveys can be booked for weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays. To find a date that works for you, call 07833 053749 or email us.
Hinksey Hill questions
Is Hinksey Hill within the area you cover?
Yes, Hinksey Hill is covered. We work right across London and the South East, from towns to the smallest villages. The journey is planned ahead, so it’s useful to know about access.
I let a flat near Oxford station. Can you check the roof?
Yes, that’s a common request. Let us know whether a tenant or an agent will let us in, and the report can go straight to you or your agent.
How long have you been surveying roofs?
More than 5,000 surveys over 20+ years, across London and South East England.
What do you check on a chimney?
We check the pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, brickwork and flashings. We also check chimney breasts and the stack in the roof space where we can reach. Everything is written up with photos.
Can you inspect my roof with a drone?
Where it’s applicable and safe, yes. We’re a CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID), flying a sub-250g drone. It is included in the Drone Roof Survey and, where it applies, the Premium Survey.
Does the weather affect the survey?
Light rain is normally fine; heavy rain and wind are different. In strong wind or heavy rain, a drone cannot fly and access may not be safe, and we’d agree another day.
Will you walk on the roof?
Only if it’s safe. We inspect everything that’s safely in view: from ground level, from windows and vantage points, from the loft space, from the roof itself where safe and by drone where applicable. The report says if anything couldn’t be seen.